Seeing is Believing
by WasJustAReader
Summary: Scully and Mulder stop for the night while on the run post-The Truth, and Mulder scares Scully.


**I posted this on AO3 a few weeks ago, and just remembered that I had planned on posting here, too. So, ta da!**  
 **This is a very belated post for leiascully's xfwriting challenge "sight" prompt on Tumblr. I'm a little sorry for the super cliché title, but it fits, so... *shrug.***

"That looks like a motel sign up there on the left, go ahead and pull over," Mulder said through a yawn.

Scully's eyes darted from the road, to Mulder's face, and back again within a fraction of a second. "Are you sure? It's not even seven yet. And what if they don't take cash?"

Mulder sighed. It was a fight every time they stopped – she always thought they should keep going, push just a little farther, he knew they needed to rest.

"Scully, look at that sign, the neon is already burning my retinas and it's still half a mile up. Of course they take cash. And besides, you're exhausted. We've been driving straight through for going on 18 hours now, not counting the two minute gaps it takes to switch off driving duty and take a leak. Frankly, from the look of your eyes you shouldn't even be behind the wheel right now, and I'm not much better."

Scully looked like she was about to protest further, but Mulder quickly cut her off.

"The last time you slept was in the passenger seat in a rest stop parking lot while I checked the map. Pull over."

Scully set her jaw and didn't reply, but flicked on the turn signal and pulled into a spot across from the motel office.

"Atta girl," Mulder chuckled under his breath, earning himself a piercing glare from his partner.

Stubbornness aside, as soon as they were out of the car, Scully slid her hand into his and held tight as they paid (cash, of course) for a room, only letting go briefly when Mulder had to actually remove the money from his wallet.

By the time the pair reached their room after moving the car to just outside the door, Scully was swaying slightly on her feet and her eyelids were drooping even more than they had been in the car.

Wrapping an arm around her waist as he ushered her through the door, Mulder murmured "See, I told you this was a good idea. Why don't you lie down for a bit while I take a shower and then we can figure out food?"

She nodded dazedly before kicking off her shoes and climbing onto the bed, settling into a sitting position against the headboard, knees pulled tight to her chest.  
Mulder raised an eyebrow at her decidedly non-sleep conducive position before shrugging and disappearing into the bathroom.

A moment later, Scully could hear the pipes groan as Mulder turned the water on, and she watched – they rarely fully closed bathroom doors these days– as he stripped out of his crumpled clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor.

Scully's last thought before drifting off was that they would have to find somewhere to do laundry soon.

* * *

She woke some time later with a crick in her neck, and surrounded by darkness.

"Mulder?"

Silence. The shower was no longer running, and all of the lights were off.

Scully scrambled to her feet, grabbing frantically at her hip for a gun that wasn't there.

"Mulder!"

Tripping over her shoes, Scully raced to the door and threw it open. The car was still right where they'd left it, last rays of a brilliant sunset glinting off its hood.

"No," she moaned softly. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening."

He was gone. Again.

Suddenly dizzy, Scully sagged against the door frame, bare feet slipping out from under her as she slid to the ground and her body trembled with sobs.  
A logical voice in the back of her mind reminded her she should go back inside and lock the door, make a plan. But the rest of her didn't care. What was the point?

That was how Mulder found her ten minutes later – crumpled in the doorway and nearly hyperventilating.

"Scully!" he yelled, rushing forward and dropping the plastic bags he'd been carrying to crouch in front of her.

"Scully, what happened? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked, voice growing more and more frantic when she didn't reply or meet his eyes.

Mulder flicked his gaze past his sobbing partner and into their room. It looked fine, no sign of a struggle, no blood… A quick glance at the car told him the same thing. Everything was as he'd left it fifteen minutes ago. Except Scully.

Scully, who was now gasping for breath as she practically choked on her own tears. But now she was muttering something in a cracked whisper under the sobs.

"Gone, gone, gone. He's gone."

That was when it hit him like a brick to the stomach. She'd woken up and thought he'd left her, been taken.

"Oh, Scully…" Mulder murmured, pulling her into his arms and stroking her back.

"I'm here. I'm right here. Please, look at me. I'm here."

Frantic, Scully struggled against his grip, pulling back violently and hitting her head on the door frame behind her. She sucked in a startled gasp at the painful impact, but apparently it was enough to shock her lungs out of their frenzied rhythm. One hand to the back of her head, and the other covering her eyes, Scully drew a deep, shuddering breath, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

As she exhaled, she whispered "Alone."

Mulder's heart broke.

"No, no, you're not alone. You're not alone, Scully. Please, just look at me," he pleaded, hesitantly putting a hand on her knee. "I'm here. Right here."

She stiffened at his touch, but didn't take her hand from her eyes. Mulder could still feel the sobs wracking her body, even though her breathing had evened out some.

"Scully, look at me. Just open your eyes. Please."

Slowly, as if working against her better judgement, she lowered her hand to her lap. Her eyes were still downcast.

"Scully," he whispered, "Please look at me."

Finally, she met his gaze – blue orbs bloodshot and shining with tears – and gasped.

Mulder let out a breath he hadn't realize he'd been holding, before muttering a quiet "Hey."

Scully stared, wide eyed.

"Mulder?"

He nodded, lips turning up into a small, sad smile.

"Mulder," she repeated in a small voice, this time without question. "Where were you?" Her voice cracked on the last syllable.

It was Mulder's turn to avoid eye contact.

"I, uh… I got us food. You fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. There's a Chinese takeout place right across the street, so..." He shrugged helplessly, and gestured at the bags he'd abandoned earlier. "I thought I'd be back before you woke up."

Nodding slowly, Scully's eyes flicked from the crumpled plastic, to Mulder's face.

"Why didn't you leave a note?"

Mulder reddened.

"I, uh, honestly, I forgot. I'm still not quite used to having company on the road again, I guess. I'm sorry."

Scully swallowed hard and nodded again, before slowly reaching out and brushing her fingers across Mulder's cheek, swiping across a stray tear.

A second later she was curled in his lap, tears coming full force once more.

"Don't do that again. I thought you were gone. I thought…"

"I know, I know. Shh, I'm sorry. So sorry. Shh… " Mulder murmured into her hair, planting kisses across her scalp. "Scully, look at me."

She did.

"I'm here. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere without you, okay?"

Scully nodded and winced, reaching up to rub the back of her head.

"Now how about we get inside so I can take a look at that bump on your head, huh?"

Scully hesitated, sitting silently in his lap, eyes intently scanning his face. Memorizing it. As if it weren't already imprinted on her brain in permanent ink. She took a deep breath and nodded, examination complete.

"Did you get orange chicken?" she asked quietly.

A grin split Mulder's face and he laughed loudly.

"Always."


End file.
